1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to fire retardant compositions. In one aspect, the invention relates to novel compositions comprising various fire retardant formulations and poly-2-oxazolines while in another aspect, the invention relates to the use of such compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Certain inorganic salts, e.g. phosphates, borates, sulfonates, etc., are well known fire retardants for cellulosic substrates. However, these salts have high moisture regain properties at relative humidities in excess of 50 percent which causes the salts to migrate to the surface of a treated substrate. This migration not only depletes the salt content of the substrate, rendering it less fire retardant, but can also severely disfigure the surface.
For certain salts, this migration can be inhibited by combining the salt with a polyalkylene-polyamine. For example, Strother, U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,679, teaches imparting fire retardancy to cellulosic substrates by treating same with a leach-resistant complex of a polyalkylenepolyamine and a condensation product of phosphorus pentoxide and ammonia. Brown and Potter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,451, teach similarly except their leach-resistant composition comprises a polyalkylenepolyamine and a mixture of mono- and diammonium phosphates. Brown and Gooch, "Compositions Comprising Polyalkylenepolyamines and 4-Component Inorganic Salt Fire Retardant Formulations", Ser. No. 784,989 and filed Apr. 12, 1977, also teach similarly except their leach-resistant compositions comprise a 4-component fire retardant formulation consisting essentially of ammonium sulfate, boric acid, and two components selected from the group consisting of zinc halide, alkali metal dichromate, diammonium phosphate and alkali metal tetraborate. Although each of these teachings disclose the use of various polyalkylenepolyamines in combination with an inorganic salt, none disclose the phosphate salt of such a material and the superior results that accompany its use.